Ballcocks



F. G. CURTIN Dec. 2, 1958 BALLCOCKS Filed July 20. 1954 .m m Mm E T N N R E O V L m m s 2,862,514 nAnLcocKs, 1 .7 Francis G. Cur-tin, Medford, Mass. Application July 20, 1954, Serial N... 444,486

' 1Claim. 01. 131 -21 The present invention relates to ballcocks and more particularly to improvements in ballcocks of the general type described in the prior patent to Andrew F. Curtin, No. 1,840,309, dated January 12, 1932.

The object of the present invention is to provide a ballcock which will be quiet in operation and which will be proof against back siphoning effects under substantially all adverse conditions. With this object in view the present invention comprises the ballcock hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claim.

The drawing is a sectional elevation of the preferred form of ballcock according to the present invention.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a body 2, preferably of cast bronze, having at the bottom 21 fitting 4 connected with the supply pipe 6. The supply pipe has at the bottom suitable fittings 8 for connection into the flush tank.

At the bottom of the supply pipe there is provided a check valve 10 adapted to seat against a venturi plug 12. The valve has a long projection passing through the plug. The check valve 10 is of light construction so that it is readily lifted off the seat when water flows through the supply pipe and also seats closely to prevent back flow. The purpose of the check valve is to prevent back flow into the mains if a leak should develop in the supply pipe 6 or any of the threaded fittings above the check valve.

To return now to a description of the ballcock proper, the fitting 4 constitutes an inlet chamber and has a valve seat 16 at the upper end. The valve body is formed with a helical water passage 17 leading to the outlet 20 which connects with the conventional hush tube 22. A by-pass chamber 24 controlled by an adjustable screw 26 leads to the passage 18. Separated from the passage 18 by a partition 28 is an aspirating passage 30 in which sub-atmospheric pressure is maintained by the action of the water flowing through the outlet 20. The aspirating passage 30 is at the extreme top of the valve body.

Received into the body is the vertically movable valve plunger 32 having at the bottom a leather washer 34 to engage the valve seat 16.

The plunger is provided at the top with a yoke 36 open at the top and connected with the usual linkage 38 whereby, under normal operating conditions, the ballcock is opened by the pressure of the water and is closed by the action of the conventional float.

With the exception of the check valve 10 the parts thus far described are in general similar to those of the above mentioned patent. It will be noted that the spiral passage 17 conducts water from the supply pipe to the discharge passage 18. Some water is also passed through the bypass 24 if the screw 26 isretracted sufiiciently. The screw 26 was intended to be used to compensate for different pressure conditions; thus, under normal pressure conditions the screw 26 would be set to close the bypass completely, in which case all of the water would flow through the helical passage, but under low pressure conditions United States Patnt the screw would be'backed oif enough to allow. some water to flow through the by-pass passage.

In the top of the valve body above thepass'age30 and forward of the plunger there is formed an opening 40,

preferably about /2 inch in diameter, open to the atmosphere. This isan air vent and is adapted to perform a.

siphon-breaking operation in' case the supply fails. If the supply does fail when'the'valve plunger 32 is open it drops immediately to its seat by gravity. It cannot be held open by the floatbecause the top ofthefyoke36 is open. However, the plunger 32 is not relied on to prevent a back-siphon because of wear 'or dirt on the seat. If there is any vacuum in the chamber 18 due to imperfect seating of the plunger 32, it is relatively small and is immediately relieved by an inward flow of air through the vent 40.

The check valve 10 is not needed to prevent back siphonage under the conditions just described, but is provided for the purpose of preventing flow of water into the mains in case of any holes or poor joints in or around the supply tube 6. The check valve forms no part of the present invention except in so far as it cooperates with the opening 40 to prevent back siphonage under all possible conditions. The seat 12 is machined in the form of a venturi in order not to restrict flow under normal conditions.

The parts thus far described have been found adequate to prevent back siphonage under all conditions that have been determined, but the opening 40 has the disadvantage that under normal conditions of filling the tank the in-rush of air makes an objectionable hissing noise. According to the present invention I provide in the top of the body a drilled hole 42 leading into the passage 30, preferably on the other side of the plunger from the hole 40. The hole 42 may be about in diameter. I have discovered that by the provision of this hole when the screw 26 is properly set the undesirable in-rush of air through the opening 40 under normal filling conditions is prevented.

The explanation is as follows. As heretofore noted the screw 26 was originally provided for the purpose of providing an additional flow of Water to compensate for low pressure. According to the present invention the screw 26 is backed off sufliciently to provide some flow through the passage 24 under any pressure conditions. The preferred setting is to provide suflicient by-pass flow through the passage 24 so that the fluid flows into the hush tube 22 at such a rate that the water backs up somewhat into the aspirating chamber 30. The proper setting of the screw 26 is such that a bubble of water can be observed in the opening 40. If the screw 26 is backed off too far some water will be forced upwardly through the opening 40 and if the screw is set down too far some air may be aspirated in. (Under very high water pressures, the bubble may form properly even with the screw 26 closed.) The correct adjustment is readily obtained and maintains itself over a reasonable range of pressure changes. If it were not for the opening 42, the presence of air in the chamber 30 would prevent the water from rising to the level at which the bubble would form. Therefore, the opening 42 serves as a relief opening to relieve the air pressure in the chamber 30 so as to permit the water to back up at least as far as the opening 40.

Under normal filling conditions the water simply flows in through the supply pipe and the valve into the hush tube and tank. However, under conditions where back siphonage may tend to occur due to failure of supply through the pipe 6 the water immediately drops in the hush tube so that the opening 40 is exposed and air rushes in to break the siphon. As heretofore noted, the check valve 10 protects against back flow through a defeet in the pipe 6.

' Patented Dec. 2, 1 s

3 Having thus described the invention, 1 claim:

A ballc'ock having a body, an inlet chamber, a plunger and a seat, an outlet chamber, a helical passage surrounding the plunger and leading from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber, 'a. by-pass passage also leadingfrom the inletchamberto the outlet chamber, means for adjusting the i'e lative flows through the passages, a horizontal partition forming an -aspirating chamber above the outlet chamber, said aspirating chamber communieating with the outlet chamber, a hush tube leading downvvairdly from the outlet and aspirating chambers, the body having atthe top a permanent aspirating opening above saidpafftition to prevent back siphonage, the aspirating chamber extending beyond the aspirating opening to constitute an air cushion space remote from said outlet, said air cushion space having a permanent relief opening to relieve air pressu-re'in the air cushion space under normal filling conditions, the aspirating opening being disposed neaie'f t'o the outlet than the relief opening, said adjusting means being, setto cause back-up of water in' the vicinity of the aspirating opening under filling conditions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,904 Prince Feb. 7, 1899 1,840,309 Curtin Jan. 12, 1932 1,909,336 Castle May 16, 1933 2,302,274 svirsk'y Nov. 17, 1942 2,329,337 Criss Sept. 14, 1943 2,562,533 Dunlap July 31, 1951 2,581,043 Owens Jan. 1, 1952 

